Public Health Commons^™

Paper Versus Practice: Occupational Health And Safety Protections And Realities For Temporary Foreign Agricultural Workers In Ontario, Janet Mclaughlin, Jenna Hennebry, Ted Haines

Health Studies

Over 20,000 temporary foreign agricultural workers come to Ontario each year, primarily from Mexico and the Caribbean. Agricultural workers are exposed to a number of occupational health and safety (OHS) risks. This article discusses the various OHS protections available to workers and their limitations, and analyzes the specific challenges that temporary foreign workers face in accessing rights, such as language and cultural barriers, information gaps, and precarious employment and immigration status. It also analyzes the limitations with respect to OHS training and the provision and use of personal protective equipment, arguing that these protections are under-regulated and inconsistent. The article …